APRIL Fools Day it may be and there's a nervous smile around Hartlepool this morning.

A furiously fought and entertaining home draw with Oldham lifted Pool out of the bottom four, for a few hours at least.

It was the third home draw from five under Paul Stephenson and another which left everyone reflecting what might have been.

After Lee Bullock's fourth goal of the season gave Pool an early lead, only the most controversial of penalty decisions in first-half injury time cost them victory.

On this showing, Pool won't go down. But if they can't get enough points to move them away from the zone by May 6, they are going down fighting.

If it's zest and commitment you are after, this performance was the equal of the win over Huddersfield three weeks ago, all that was missing were the decisive goals.

Director of Sport Chris Turner was stationed on the bench alongside Stephenson and Pool started at the tempo demanded by the pair.

Thomas Butler had already caused problems on the right with his trickery before he teed up Lee Bullock for an early goal.

Michael Proctor charged the ball down deep inside his own half and it set Joel Porter on the counter attack. With Butler tearing up ground on the right, Porter's chipped pass put his team-mate into space. When the ball came in Bullock stood his ground just inside the penalty area and swept a first-time shot across keeper Lee Grant into the far corner for his first goal in five months.

Butler was at the centre of the quick moves and one mazy run, which took him from his own half to the verge of the Oldham box, was cynically halted by a Guy Branston trip.

Matty Robson's free-kick deflected off the wall and keeper Grant acrobatically got a firm hand to push it away as Proctor waited to pounce.

It was fast and fully committed stuff and Ben Clark and Paul Warner both flung themselves into a 50-50 tackle, which saw Clark come off worse.

Humphreys' towering throw from the right was headed on by Porter and Bullock couldn't get enough on the ball to divert it into the goal and Terrell Forbes cleared from under his own bar.

Taylor was having too much space on the right and as he charged into the Pool box, his touch was too heavy and that allowed Humphreys to make a saving tackle to halt the wing-back's progress.

Proctor missed the chance to shoot first time from an inviting position, allowing Forbes to check the striker's movement. Proctor held up possession but couldn't do anything with it and the chance went begging.

Porter pulled up just after the half hour and, worringly, it appeared to be a recurrence of the knee problems which kept him out of action for so long this season.

His left knee was immediately iced up on the bench and in Adam Boyd, Pool had a direct replacement.

But Boyd was a tightly-marked man all night and wasn't allowed the space to run at the defence as Porter had, consequently he suffered a frustrating night.

Dimi Konstantopoulos had his first call of duty on 37 minutes, moving from his six-yard area to knock the ball away from dangerman Luke Beckett after Oldham's passing in the final third proved decisive.

Oldham's controversial penalty was awarded as Will Haining drove at goal from 30 yards and the ball crashed into Bullock high on his right arm, which was tucked into his body.

Referee Kevin Friend was no pal of the home side as he pointed to the spot.

It was the sort of decision on which seasons, never mind games, can be changed and Beckett's low spot kick was sent beyond Konstantopoulos for a morale-sapping leveller.

Pool started the second half in nervous fashion but were soon back in their stride.

Boyd was somehow denied from six yards by a flying Grant save and, when Oldham failed to clear, Pool kept the pressure on.

Boyd's curling shot beat Grant, via a slight Proctor deflection, and as Victoria Park erupted, a controversial offside flag halted the celebrations.

Play switched swiftly to the other end after Humphreys lost possession on the attack. Beckett found Taylor and his low cross fizzed across the face of goal with the on-rushing Warne only connecting with the post.

The game's ferocity refused to ease, with Pool driven by their angst at the two key decisions.

But as Pool attacked, Oldham counter-attacked and the visitors were starting to finally find their passes.

Bullock should have tested keeper Grant on 76 minutes when Humphreys' shrewd pass found the scorer in space.

In the first half he put his shot away from the keeper, but this time he directed it straight at him. Grant then tipped over a goalbound Bullock header in inury time.

With three homes games remaining, Pool need to turn the draws into wins, but there's no doubt their efforts were recognised by the crowd last night.

Result: Hartlepool United 1, Oldham Athletic 1.

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